... a fact-packed volume that’s downright giddy with enthusiasm for its subject ... Whittell’s writing is sometimes undisciplined. Twice in three pages, he cites the same quote...and his own enthusiasm for ski-jumping feats produces some pretty extraordinary claims ... Though his prose occasionally is hackneyed ('Nature can be cruel'), it can also be lithely on the mark ... He’s also consistently good-humored, offering readers helpful hints where needed ... Even as Whittell plays himself up as a zany snow fanatic, he has a serious message to convey.
... wonderful, wide-ranging ... Whittell is a genial guide to the slopes. He has the gnarly cool of the snowboard stunt man, the quiet authority of the scientist and the glee of the schoolboy who has just stuffed a snowball down the back of your jumper ... The chapter about snow in art — What Bruegel Saw — is a fascinating piece of detective work ... If you’re not a skier, if indeed your memories of skiing are more freezing tears of frustration than glorious gliding, then you may struggle with the more athletic chapters ... Put this book on your Christmas list and let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.
The author has real passion for his subject which communicates to the reader. Whilst acknowledging the power of a snowstorm and the terror an avalanche can bring he writes as a devotee of snow and in the light of our warming planet there is an elegiac feel to the writing ... Although I was reading this in warm spring weather I was carried away to the snow-capped mountains on the trail of the yeti and enjoyed every step of my snowy journey. I also learned a lot about weather systems and the physics of snow. This is as book for anyone who loves snow or is at all curious about it. It is possibly best read in the winter months, curled in an armchair watching the snowflakes fill the sky outside.
Whittell meanders through various aspects of the cold ice crystals, but doesn’t go in-depth on any one characteristic, which keeps the subject light and allows him to cover many disparate subjects in different chapters. His cursory takes help with clarity when he describes the complex science behind snow or more sobering realities such as the time scientists expect the last flake to fall. Whittell adds enjoyable trivia, such as how many snowflakes it takes to build a snowman, throughout the book ... A delightful, enjoyable, and meandering read that will appeal to, and amuse, teen and adult readers.
... a fascinating study ... [Whittell's] keen interest and enthusiasm for the topic are apparent, and his footnotes contain both citations and observations ... Whittell covers a broad range of topics ... Readers will want to grab an extra blanket when reading this well-researched and fascinating title, which was originally published in the UK in 2018.
